The Student Senate unanimously voted Wednesday to support the national Affordable Textbooks Campaign that starts Thursday on campus.
Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group intern Jenny Manning asked the Senate to pass a resolution in support of the campaign.
Senators questioned the validity of the statistics cited in the resolution, but were swayed in favor after Brett Rowlett, a campus organizer for the Oregon Student Association and the ASUO, and several other students praised the campaign.
According to a Government Accounting Office report, textbook prices are increasing 6 percent per year and have tripled from December 1986 to December 2004, more than twice the rate of inflation.
The Affordable Textbooks Campaign resolution will be sent to publishers, media and possibly even University President Dave Frohnmayer asking to improve the industry by dropping textbooks prices, thus making college more affordable, Manning said.
Student Senate also distributed more than $1,500 to pay for MEChA’s Dia de los Muertos event, two new computers for the Student Insurgent, a new stipend position in the Athletic Department Finance Committee and an International Student Association Halloween carnival scheduled for Saturday in the Earl Complex.
Senate also approved the ASUO Executive’s appointee to the elections coordinator position, Ryan Coussens. The Executive announced its intent to fill the seat of former Senator Rob Craig, who resigned Sept. 28.
Student Senate is still looking for applicants to fill three empty seats. Interested students can pick up applications in the ASUO office, EMU Suite 4.
– Nicholas Wilbur